Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yoduluth’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yoduluth’, characterized by its upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit; large vigorous plants; freely branching habit, full and dense plants; strong, dark green foliage; uniform flowering; nine-week response time; numerous large daisy-type inflorescences that are about 8.8 cm in diameter; dark purple and light pink-colored spoon-shaped ray florets with bright yellow-colored disc florets; and good postproduction longevity with inflorescences and leaves maintaining good substance and color for about three or four weeks in an interior environment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically know as Dendranthema grandifora andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Yoduluth.

The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. The objective of thebreeding program is to create new pot-type Chrysanthemum cultivarshaving desirable inflorescence forms and floret colors and goodpost-production longevity.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross made by the Inventor inOctober, 1994, in Salinas, Calif., of the Dendranthema grandiforacultivar Rage, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,770, as the female, orseed, parent, with the Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar Tijuana,disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,083, as the male, or pollen, parent.

The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as aflowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlledenvironment in Alva, Fla., in April, 1996. The selection of this plantwas based on its desirable inflorescence form and floret colors and goodpost-production longevity.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by terminal cuttingsharvested in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla., has shown that theunique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced trueto type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Yoduluth has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Yoduluth’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Yoduluth’ as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum:

1. Upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded planthabit.

2. Large vigorous plants.

3. Freely branching habit, full and dense plants.

4. Strong, dark green foliage.

5. Uniform flowering.

6. Nine-week response time.

7. Floriferous, numerous large daisy-type inflorescences that are about8.8 cm in diameter.

8. Dark purple and light pink-colored spoon-shaped ray florets withbright yellow-colored disc florets.

9. Excellent postproduction longevity with inflorescences and leavesmaintaining good substance and color for at least three weeks in aninterior environment.

The new Chrysanthemum can be compared to the Chrysanthemum cultivarRapture, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,179. However in side-by-sidecomparsions in Salinas, Calif., and Leamington, Ontario, Canada, undercommerical practice, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plantsof the cultivar Rapture in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more vigorous, taller andstronger than plants of the cultivar Rapture.

2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more upright and less spreadingthan plants of the cultivar Rapture.

3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower about four or five days laterthan plants of the cultivar Rapture.

4. Ray florets of the new Chrysanthemum are darker purple in color thanray florets of the cultivar Rapture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Chrysanthemum showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a top perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Yodulth’.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of atypical inflorescence and upper (left) and lower (right) surfaces oftypical leaves of the cultivar Yoduluth. Floret and foliage colors inthe photographs may appear different from the actual colors due to lightreflectance.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observationsand measurements describe plants grown in Salinas, Calif., andLeamington, Ontario, Canada, under greenhouse conditions whichapproximate those generally used in commerical potted Chrysanthemumproduction. Four unrooted cuttings were directly stuck in a 15-cmcontainer and pinched once. Plants used for this description were grownas spray-types. Measurements and numerical values represent averages oftypical flowering plants.

Botanical classification: Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar Yoduluth.

Commercial classification: Daisy spoon spray-type pot Chrysanthemum.

Parentage:

Female or seed parent.— Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar Rage,disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,770.

Male or pollen parent.— Dendranthema grandifora cultivar Tijuana,diclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,083.

Propagation:

Type.—Terminal tip cuttings.

Time to rooting.—Seven to ten days with soil temperatures of 21° C.

Rooting habit.—Fine, fibrous and well-branched.

Plant description:

Appearance.—Herbaceous daisy pot Chrysanthemum typically grown as aspray-type. Inverted triangle; large and vigorous with stems upright andsomewhat outwardly spreading giving a uniformly mounded appearance tothe plant. Freely branching; about four or five lateral branches developafter removal of terminal apex (pinching); dense and full plants.

Plant height.—About 33 cm.

Plant width.—About 37 cm.

Stem color.—144A.

Stem texture.—Pubescent.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate. Length: About 7.6 cm.Width: About 5.1 cm. Apex: Mucronate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmatelylobed, sinuses between lateral lobes mostly parallel. Texture: Upper andlower surfaces with very fine pubescence; veins prominent on lowersurface. Petiole length: About 2.1 cm. Petiole width: About 3 mm. Color:Young foliage upper surface: 147A. Young foliage lower surface: Close to147B. Mature foliage upper surface: 147A. Mature foliage lower surface:147B. Venation upper surface: 147A. Venation lower surface: 147B.

Inflorescence description:

Appearance.—Daisy inflorescence form with spoon-shaped ray florets.Inflorescences borne on terminals above foliage, arising from leafaxils. Disk and ray florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum.

Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plant flowers in theautumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other times of the year,inflorescence inititation and development can be induced under shortday/long night conditions (at least 13.5 hours of darkness). Plantsexposed to three weeks of long day/short night conditions after plantingfollowed by photoinductive short day/long night conditions flower aboutnine weeks later.

Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences and leaves will maintain goodcolor and substance for at least three weeks in an interior environment.

Quantity of Inflorescences.—Freely flowering; about six inflorescencesper lateral branch or about 24 to 30 inflorescences per plant.

Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 6.5 mm. Diameter: About 7.5 mm. Color:Greener than 143 A.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 8.8 cm. Depth (height): About 1.25cm. Diameter of disc: About 1.8 cm.

Ray florets.—Shape: Spoon. Orientation: Initially upright, thenperpendicular to peduncle. Aspect: Straight. Length: About 3.9 cm.Width: About 9 mm. Corolla tube length: About 1.7 cm. Corolla tubewidth: About 3 mm. Apex: Rounded to emarginate. Margin: Entire. Texture:Smooth, velvety. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 29; onewhorl. Color: When opening, tube: Close to 72B. When opening, throat:59A. Fully opened, tube, upper surface: 62B-62C to 70D. Fully opened,tube, lower surface: 70C-70D underlain with darker, 70A-70B,longitudinal streaks. Fully opened, throat: Close to 59B to 61A orslightly more red than 61A.

Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular. Apex: Serrated. Length: About 6.5 mm.Width: Apex, about 2 mm; base, about 1 mm. Number of disc florets perinflorescence: Numerous, about 112. Color: Immature: 144A. Mature: Apex:9A. Mid-section: Light green. Base: White, 155D.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Anthercolor: 9A. Pollen amount: Scarce to moderate. Pollen color: 14A.Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets.

Disease resistance: Resistance to pathogens to common to Chrysanthemumshas not been observed on plants grown under commercial greenhouseconditions.

Seed production: Seed production has not been observed.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plantnamed ‘Yoduluth’, as illustrated and described.